Design Challenge
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A few years ago Penny De Los Santos, a contributing photographer at Saveur Magazine, came to Seattle to teach a class on food photography. My wife and I went to a pre-class gathering to meet Penny and ask her questions about her craft and career. We both love photography and thought this event would be a good opportunity to get some inspiration. It was!
Penny encouraged those of us there to work on unpaid personal projects on a regular basis. What she was saying was that we need to work to strengthen our creative muscles. I walked away from that event inspired and excited to pursue some ideas I had in my head but never put time into.
I hear you asking, “what does this have to do with CAD?” In my opinion, everything.
I have found that there are ways that we can sharpen our observation, planning and communication skills through creative outlets. One way I do this is by challenging myself to look for interesting moments and scenes in my daily life, capture them with my camera and do something creative to communicate a message with the photo. This, like any exercise, can be fun or serious.
Exercises like this can have a direct impact on our paid work. Even though we may not have complete creative freedom on CAD drawings because of standards, improved observation, planning and communication skills do make us better drafters/designers.
Does this resonate with you? If so, I would love to see and hear ways you strengthen your creative muscles.
That is a great idea! Now we’re thinking outside the box. I been drafting for 29 years. Yes I have advanced over my years, I am now a lead designer for our company. My role is to continuously mentor and work close with our drafters and designers to be just that, good drafters and designers.
I came into my career as an aspiring artist and illustrator some 35 year ago. My dream of being an artist was cut short when I became a drafter. I had to follow rules and utilize text, line types and line weights for this and that. My thought was this is not the same as art.
I was wrong. My artistic mind set have been my strength in applying well laid out engineering documentation. Every line I put on my drawings is a brush of paint applied on a canvas. I am not going to tell anyone it was as simple as drawing lines. I made an effort in developing a well balance drawing. Like a well laid out home with the furniture in perfect locations. It required discipline and not to mention specialize training from very good instructors.
Times have changed, drafting methodology has changed but, ANSI drafting standards has not changed. The art now is to produce the same kind of drafting in the hurry up environment. Too many of today’s young drafters are distracted by the hurry up environment. We drafters have to adapt but the rules are the same. Someday I will be a Chief Designer, for now I remain a drafter by heart, a designer by mind and a artist forever.
Thank you Lazzy Drafter.
Ricky